'Tis the Season for Romance

by Kristen Proby

  “I’m in my bra and panties under here,” I remind him.

  “Mostly naked,” he repeats. “What’s up with you and Sam?”

  I feel my lips twitch. “He was my first kiss. But I was twelve, and he was fourteen, so I don’t think it counts. Why, are you jealous?”

  I hold my breath. Is he jealous?

  “Of course, not,” he says. “I was just curious.”

  “Uh-huh. That’s why you want to murder them all for seeing me in my underwear. Curiosity.”

  Nick laughs and kisses my lips lightly. “Finish warming up so I can take you home.”

  The way he’s smiling at me gives me shivers. He’s tender and sweet. And, dare I say…loving?

  “Jordan, there’s someone out here who wants to see you,” the nurse says, poking her head in the door. “His name’s Jeremy?”

  “Oh.” I blink at her and then look up at Nick, who’s scowling at the poor woman. “I guess he can come in.”

  She nods and leaves, and Nick shakes his head.

  “He has no business here. I should call Brad.”

  “Before you do…” Jeremy says as he walks into the room. His eyes are on me, and he looks scared. “I just wanted to come by and apologize. I tried to call but figured you probably don’t have your phone on you.”

  “It’s likely at the bottom of the lake,” I say, thinking of my phone for the first time. “How did you know I was here?”

  “Dad’s police scanner,” he says. His father used to be a volunteer fireman and never stopped using the scanner. “Scared me.”

  Nick’s hand tightens on mine. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Jeremy.

  “I’m not here to cause trouble,” he says. “In fact, I wanted to come and apologize…for everything.”

  “I’m not dropping the charges,” I say.

  “I know,” he replies with a grim nod. “I never should have put my hands on you that way, Jordan. You didn’t deserve it. And I was a supreme asshole for causing a scene at the stroll.”

  “Quite,” Nick says.

  “I won’t bother you again. When I heard about the accident on the lake, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. We may be over, but you were the most important part of my life for a long time, and I want you to be amazing.”

  “Thanks,” I say and offer him a smile. “I want you to be amazing, too. Be nice to the next girl.”

  “I will.” He smiles and then ducks out of the room.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” I say, staring at the closed door.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah. I’m glad he apologized. Maybe he needed that closure.”

  “What about you?”

  “Oh, I had closure the second he slapped me.” I look into Nick’s eyes. “Can we blow this popsicle stand?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “You’re staying in bed,” Nick says as he clears my dinner plate away. As soon as we got back to the house, he tucked me into his bed—so he could keep a better eye on me, he said—and has been doting on me like crazy.

  I admit, it doesn’t suck. But it’s completely unnecessary.

  “Nick, I’m not an invalid.”

  He bends over so he’s nose-to-nose with me. “For once, just do as you’re told.”

  “Yeah, I don’t like that either.”

  He smirks. “It’s one evening of rest, sweetheart. Just let me care for you, okay?”

  I sigh dramatically. “This is backwards. I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

  “I’m just fine.”

  “Well, so am I.”

  “Are you always this stubborn?”

  I lift a brow. “No, I’m tired this evening, so I’m less stubborn.”

  “If you’re that tired, staying in bed won’t be a hardship for you.” He winks and leaves the room, taking my empty plate down to the kitchen.

  Rather than argue, I reach for my iPad and open it to the book I’ve been reading. I’m less than a page in when he returns and walks right past me and into the master bath.

  I hear the shower start and imagine him stripping down to get under the hot spray of water. I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed getting to know Nick. He’s smart and kind, has a stellar work ethic, and can even be fun. His moodiness doesn’t bother me at all.

  But his body? Holy mother Mary, his body is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. It does things to me that might be illegal in some states.

  And he’s naked right now.

  When I hear the water turn off, I call out to him. “Nick? Can you come in here for a sec?”

  He comes to the doorway, a towel slung low around his hips, and his eyebrows raised in question. “What’s up?”

  “Lose the towel.”

  Water beads on his chest, his arms, and his neck. His dark hair is still wet.

  I want to lick him from head to toe.

  His eyes narrow. “Why?”

  “I wanna see something. Please?”

  He lets the towel fall to the floor, and I soak in the sight of him. Hard muscles, defined beautifully under smooth, tanned skin. Abs for days, and a happy trail of hair that leads south to an impressive cock that’s growing by the second.

  “You’re in no shape for this,” he says.

  Rather than reply, I strip my tank top over my head and toss it to the floor. “I’m in excellent shape for this.”

  “You fell into a bloody lake today.”

  I wave him off and rise to my knees, shucking off my underwear. “That was hours ago. I’ve had medical attention and lots of rest, thanks to you. It’s all your fault, by the way.”

  “That you fell into the lake?”

  “No, that’s my fault. It’s your fault that I want to ravage your sexy body. I mean, look at you.”

  His lips twitch. “Like what you see, do you?”

  “Oh, yeah. Come here.”

  He licks his lips and crosses to me. I reach for his cock, but he captures my wrist in his hand as he climbs over me and pins my hand above my head.

  “If you touch me, I’ll embarrass myself,” he growls.

  “Why?”

  “Because you make it impossible for me to breathe, much less keep a rein on my dick, Jordan. Your touch makes me lose my ever-loving mind.”

  “Good to know.”

  He nuzzles my neck. A drop of water falls onto my chest and weaves a wet path between my breasts.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  I want to smirk. Brush it off. Chalk up those words to an intense situation today and chemistry.

  But his eyes are hot as they roam over my face and shoulders.

  “Thank you,” I whisper.

  “I’m going to take this nice and slow,” he says. His voice is hushed as he kisses along my jawline.

  “I’m not fragile.”

  “The fuck, you’re not,” he replies as his free hand slides up my inner thigh. “Ah, you’re ready for me.”

  “More than ready,” I agree, opening wider for him. “So ready.”

  He leans over me and plants his full lips next to my ear as he slowly begins to slip inside.

  “Mine,” he whispers. “For now, you’re mine.”

  I may be yours forever.

  But I can’t speak the words aloud. I don’t know what’s going to happen when all is said and done.

  All I can do is enjoy every second with him. Every touch. Every sigh.

  He moves faster, but he’s still careful. I reach between us and press a fingertip to my clit, and his pupils dilate.

  “You’re so damn sexy,” he growls. “Ah, bloody hell.”

  He groans as he falls over the edge, succumbing to his orgasm. He grinds the root of his cock against me, and I follow him over in the most all-encompassing orgasm I’ve ever experienced.

  I can’t move. My lips might be numb.

  “I’ll roll off in about a month,” he says, making me giggle. “I can’t feel my toes.”

  “I’m g
lad I’m not the only one.”

  He raises his head and smiles down at me. “I don’t tell you this often enough, but you’re wonderful. I hope you know that.”

  “I do now.” I kiss his chin. “And I think you’re pretty wonderful, too.”

  Chapter 10

  ~Nick~

  “We have good news,” Randall says at our afternoon meeting. It’s been a week since the lake incident.

  I still have nightmares.

  “Nick has been cleared for duty,” he says with a nod at me. “He’ll be back to work on Monday.”

  “About damn time,” Liam says as he leans back in his chair. He grins at me.

  “Why are you here?” I ask, giving him shit. “Your Highness.”

  He just flips me the bird, and I love that things feel more normal.

  We wrap up the meeting, and I hang back at HQ with Liam. Sebastian walks through the door and then frowns when he looks around the now-empty room.

  “Did I miss it?”

  “Yes, sir,” I reply.

  “Nina insisted on…well, never mind. I’ve been meaning to ask you, Nick, how is Jordan feeling?”

  “She’s great,” I reply. “Fully recovered.”

  “Excellent,” Sebastian says.

  “So, now what?” Liam asks, smiling at me.

  “Now what…what?”

  Sebastian leans his shoulder against the wall, listening. “If you think we don’t know that you’ve been having an affair with her, you’re mistaken.”

  “I didn’t make it a secret,” I reply and rub my hand over my mouth in agitation. “And I don’t know what happens next.”

  “Do you like her?” Liam asks.

  “I’m fucking in love with her,” I growl. I sound grumpy as shit. Jordan would give me hell for it.

  “And he sounds happy about it, too,” Sebastian says with a laugh.

  “It can’t work.” I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter how I feel about her because it’s over. I’ll move back here, and she’ll get on with her life.”

  “Why?” Liam asks.

  “What do you mean, why? Because I work here. This is where I live.”

  “No, why can’t you be together?”

  I stare at him like he’s lost his mind. “Because I live the majority of the year in London, remember? Long-distance relationships suck arse, and asking her to be okay with me being overseas most of the time isn’t fair.”

  “So, she moves to London,” Liam says.

  “Other royal guards have families,” Sebastian adds. “You’ll move her there and have a life with her. If we’re in Montana for an extended period, you can bring her with you. We’re not unreasonable.”

  “She has a life in Montana,” I reply. “She’s wanted to live here again for a long time. And she’s a nurse. As great as all of that sounds, I can’t ask her to uproot her life for me. Her ex did that, and she was miserable.”

  “You aren’t her ex,” Liam reminds me. “Have you talked about the future at all with her?”

  “No. She’s packing her things now.”

  “Does she seem happy about that?” Sebastian asks.

  I stop and think. Jordan had been quieter than usual the last couple of days.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Communication,” Liam says and wraps his knuckles on the table. “Talk to her, man. Ask her what she wants.”

  “I truly think you can make it work,” Sebastian says. “She can work as a nurse for the family, if she would like that. Or, we can transition you to Nina’s Montana security, the way Liam was mine before. You’re a valuable member of our team, and we want you to be happy.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nods and leaves HQ, headed back to the main house.

  “What are you going to do?” Liam asks.

  “Talk to her.” I blow out a breath. “Here’s hoping she’s still at the lake.”

  “You just caught me,” Jordan says as I walk into the house. Her suitcase is sitting at the bottom of the stairs.

  “You’re leaving already?”

  “Well, you’ve been cleared to go back to work,” she says. “So, my job here is done.”

  And I haven’t asked you to stay.

  I’m a bloody wanker.

  “I think we need to talk, Jordan.”

  She licks her lips and then dives into her purse, looking for her moisturizer no doubt.

  “Oh?”

  “I should have said something before this, but honestly, I’m not sure how to make it work.”

  “How to make what work?” she asks.

  “Us.”

  I have her undivided attention now. She drops her purse to the floor and stares at me with wide eyes. “Us?”

  “Us. Listen, I’m a knob. And I don’t mean to be. I’ve loved spending the past few weeks with you, despite the rocky start we had. You’re sweet and fun. Kind. You make me laugh, and you’ve reminded me what it is to truly live. I don’t want that to be over.”

  She sighs in relief, and I feel like an even bigger arsehole.

  “I figured you were just ready to get on with your life,” she says. “And I don’t blame you.”

  “I do, but I want you to be in it.”

  “Well, we can certainly be friends.”

  I shake my head. “I’m saying this all wrong. Jordan, I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  Her eyes fill with tears. “You have?”

  “Absolutely. I think I was in love with you the minute you bought me a stocking with my name on it.”

  “I knew I could get you to like Christmas,” she whispers, making me grin.

  “My life is complicated,” I continue and take her hand in mine. “I work out of London, and all over the world, really. And you’re in Montana. But I think we have options open to us. Whether that looks like you moving to London, or me taking on a permanent position here in Montana, we can make it work. Because I’m not ready for this to end. I can’t imagine my life without you, not now that I have you.”

  She walks into my arms and holds me tightly, her face pressed to my chest.

  “Is this a yes hug, or a goodbye hug?” I ask.

  “I love you, too,” she says. “Even when you’re grumpy. I didn’t want to leave, but you haven’t said a word about anything permanent, and I’ll never be that girl who clings just because the sex is really good.”

  “Let’s be honest, the sex is fucking phenomenal.”

  She laughs and nods. “It really is. But that’s not a basis for a relationship.”

  “You’re right.” I tip up her chin so I can look into her eyes. “But friendship is. Trust. Loyalty. And you have all of that in me. I want us to keep learning more about each other. I want to be with you, Jordan. Because the thought of being without you is pure torture. I’d rather get shot again.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” She boosts up onto her toes and kisses my lips. “I’m yours, Nick. I’ve been yours for what seems like a long time. I was just looking for you.”

  I wrap my arms around her and kiss her thoroughly, the way a woman should be kissed when she’s just confessed her love.

  “So, what are we going to do?” I ask.

  “Well, right now, you’re going to seduce me. And we’ll figure the rest out together.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  Epilogue

  ~Jordan~

  One Year Later

  * * *

  It’s Christmas. My absolute favorite time of year. We’re back in Cunningham Falls for the holidays, and I admit, it’s good to be here. I love London, way more than I ever expected to, but Montana will always be home.

  Whenever we come back to the States, Nick and I stay at Nina’s house. He didn’t give up his full-time position with the royal family. I couldn’t ask him to do that, especially considering that I didn’t have a job in Montana to tie us here.

  I’ve been working with the royal medical staff and enjoying it very much. I’ve learned so much, and now that Ell
ie and Aspen are both pregnant, I’ll be their private nurse during their pregnancies.

  I couldn’t be happier.

  I’ve just hung our stockings on the mantel when Nick walks into the living room.

  “Where did you find those?” he asks.

  “I stored them at my mom’s in January before we left for London. Now, it’s tradition.”

  He’s watching me with that intense gaze he gets that tells me something’s on his mind. It won’t work to try and pry it out of him.

  He’ll tell me, eventually.

  “Is everyone settled at the main house?”

  “They are,” he says. “And now we’re all alone for the rest of the evening.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound bad at all.”

  He sits in a chair and snatches me by the hips, tumbling me into his lap.

  “Hello there.” I kiss his cheek. “You’re ridiculously handsome today.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” His face is so serious, it makes me a little nervous.

  Shit.

  Is he about to break up with me?

  “I need to talk to you about something.”

  I swallow hard. “Okay.”

  He takes my hand and laces our fingers together, then kisses each finger, one by one.

  “Are you breaking up with me?” I blurt.

  “What? No.” He chuckles and kisses my cheek. “If that were the case, you wouldn’t be nestled in my lap, sweetheart.”

  “Okay. Continue.”

  He drags his nose up my neck, sending shivers through me.

  “Nick?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Talk.”

  “Right.” He clears his throat. “I love you.”

  It always catches me off guard, like a shot right to the heart, every time he says those three little words. Even after all this time.

  “I love you, too.”

  “I’ve wanted to do this for a while, but I thought it was best to wait until we were here, in this place.”

  He stands and sets me on the chair, and then, to my utter shock, he lowers down to one knee.

  “Holy shit.”

  He takes my hand.